First Lady Fazna Ahmed has inaugurated the Child Safeguarding Policy for football at a special ceremony. The Child Safeguarding Policy is being conducted by the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) in partnership with Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC).
In her statement during the inauguration ceremony, First Lady Fazna said the launching of the policy is the most joyous milestone for child protection in the Maldives following the ratification of the Child Rights Protection Act and the Juvenile Justice Act. Speaking further, the first lady reiterated the importance of safeguarding children, acknowledging the role of FAM, ARC, and other supporting organisations in having the foresight to implement this policy. She also addressed the distinction between child safeguarding and child protection. Safeguarding young children is a duty to ensure that that they are kept safe from experiencing harmful situations or traumatic events, and further underscored the importance of an effective child safeguarding system within sports, highlighted the first lady.
Additionally, First Lady Fazna affirmed that such a policy shields young children in sports from potential mental, physical or emotional trauma, while at the same time providing guidance for coaches and sports management in best practices and how to seek further help. Ending her statement, she called on other sports organisations to follow the lead of FAM in creating policies to safeguard young children and to endeavour to gain the trust of children by developing sports as an inclusive environment where children feel safe and empowered.
FAM's Child Safeguarding Policy was formulated jointly by FAM and ARC, with the support of the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) Maldives and relevant state agencies. The policy aims to ensure a safe environment for children involved in football by cultivating a culture of respect and zero-tolerance towards any form of violence, abuse, neglect, harassment, or bullying.